


Singles Awareness Day

by Darkmagyk



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Demisexual Characters, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Miscommunication, Pining, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29161104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkmagyk/pseuds/Darkmagyk
Summary: Every year, best friends Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson spend Valentine's Day alone, together. Even if Annabeth wishes they were something more.But this year, Percy's been acting weird. And Annabeth can't help but worry it is because their perfect co-dependent partnership is coming to an end.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 5
Kudos: 100





	Singles Awareness Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [percyyoulittleshit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyyoulittleshit/gifts).



> Rated for language and sex.
> 
> Thank you to Mari, who's demi Annabeth headcanon actually pulled the who story together!!
> 
> And to Sasha for editing it!

“I love you,” Percy said, dropping a kiss on her cheek as he swung his messenger bag up.

“Love you, too.” She said and reminded herself it wasn’t really a lie.

“I’ll see you tonight,” He blew her a kiss at the door, and grinned when she rolled her eyes. Then he wandered out of the coffee shop, giving her another little wave through the window as he put his headphones in.

As soon as he was out of sight, Annabeth basically faceplanted on the keys of her laptop.

Percy Jackson was perfect.

It didn’t mean anything.

She had been in love with her best friend for a really long time.

It was hard to say exactly how long. Had she fallen for him that first summer, when he was all skinny arms and bruised knees and looked at her and saw her.

Had it been in 8th grade, when he had spent all his savings and skipped Christmas with his Mom to go with her to San Francisco to serve as a buffer between her and her stepmom?

Certainly by 11th grade, when he’d saved her pride by asking her to Junior prom when the girl who’d had won cheer captain over her had basically made it her goal to mock Annabeth as ruthlessly as possible for being a virgin. He had danced all the slow songs with her and had her spend the night at his place to give her enough of a cover.

She wasn’t sure who exactly had followed who to NYU, but it was simply as natural as it could be.

Now here she was, a third year, a crush to affection, to love, to whatever she was in now. Something strong and dangerous. 

She had been thinking about the future a lot, lately. As college drifted to a close, she was looking at where she was going next. 

It had hit her suddenly, two weeks ago, when her favorite professor had asked what her plans post graduation were. 

Or, more specifically, what graduate schools she was thinking about apply to, because someone with Annabeth’s skills and ambitions had to move onto the next level.

Before that, Annabeth had only thought about it in passing. She’d glanced at some of the Programs in New York because it was where she was. And her father had made a few not at all subtle remarks about Harvard and family tradition and how “Really, it has a great program, Annabeth. You should really think about it, dear. Natalie and Magnus would love to have you in Boston.”

It hadn’t mattered until her professor had repeated the Harvard suggestion, and a few other schools, most of which were decidedly not in New York City.

Her first instinct, her first thought, was that Percy was a New Yorker, and wouldn’t be caught dead in Red Sox country.

Her second was that there was no reasonable expectation that Percy would go with her to graduate school.

Percy wasn’t going to follow her anywhere.

Oh sure, he’d made a few obsequious remarks about them moving in together after graduation. But that was all done on the not-really-out-there assumption that they’d stay in the city together. Percy wasn’t going to go anywhere else.

Maybe she’d known this was coming a long time, when she really considers it. Because, she realizes with a start, she hasn’t asked Percy at all about his future plans recently. It wasn’t like she didn't know what they were: graduate, get a job as a Latin/Greek teacher, preferably at a fancy prep school that wants him as a sailing coach.

She should talk to him about it later tonight, when she went over for dinner and movie night. Show an interest, do all those things best friends are supposed to do when they aren’t consumed by ill-advised and unwanted love.

She didn’t get much more studying done. The words on the page kept getting mixed up, and when she typed up some of her essay, the amount of red squiggles was just demoralizing.

And Percy started texting her about 30 minutes after he left.

Small things: the caricature of Professor D his small group discussion partner drew, the pack of peanut m&ms he brought to snack on and his great betrayal when it only had four blue ones. Speculation on if the travel mug Professor D kept drinking from had diet coke or wine in it. Little Percy things. Funny and insignificant and overwhelming.

At least he couldn’t text her at the gym, where he went after class. Thursdays were the only days they didn’t work out together. He did some crazy leg day shit with his fellow sailors, and she got a break from standing over him, spotting him, watching his face glisten and every one of his strong muscles get better.

She gave up her studying after making a little more progress in both her reading and her essay after another hour, and went to pack for a night at Percy’s. 

He actually had something like an apartment, while she was still stuck sharing a double with Nyssa. She liked Nyssa fine, of course, but she also liked her own space, and not feeling like she was at sleep away camp. 

He’d made her a spare key, which was technically against the rules, and she let herself in. The shower was still running, and given that Frank had an evening class on Thursdays, it probably wasn’t his roommate. 

She was setting up the couch the way she liked it when she heard the water turn off but didn’t pay it any attention until she heard him say, “Hey! I’m glad you’re here.” 

She looked up with a smile on her face, and then let out an entirely indecent noise. 

Because Percy was naked. 

Or, not Naked naked, but he was wrapped in a short towel at the waist and nothing else. 

It wasn’t that she’d never seen Percy’s chest before. Of course she had, she’s seen it grow from pallid and skinny to beautifully muscular over the course of many summers and beach trips and high school swim meets. 

But somehow, bathing suits seemed so much more substantial than a towel. 

She could feel her cheeks burn. She was probably a very unattractive bright red at the moment. She couldn’t look away. She was very very very desperate to. 

“Um…I’ll go get dressed.” Her reaction was not at all unnoticed by Percy. Because of course it wasn’t. 

He was dressed quickly, in an old camp shirt and blue sweats. While he was changing, she put on her own pajamas in the bathroom. Hoping against hope that they could put it all behind them, and he wouldn’t ask her uncomfortable questions about how long she’d stared at him. 

They settled into the little nest she’d made on the couch and pulled up the movie. He promised Spider-Verse wasn’t scary, but she didn’t believe him, with a title like that. A whole universe of spiders seemed like a nightmare to her. 

But he wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her close, and she ducked her head into his chest if she needed too. 

Half way through the movie, which wasn’t scary but did have a lot of spiders in it, so it wasn’t not scary, Percy turned to her with a serious look on his face. 

“I’m so sorry I made you uncomfortable earlier,” he said, “I wasn’t thinking.” 

“it’s fine,” She promised. It wasn’t but not for any rational reason she could explain. “I’m glad to know all that time I’m working you in the gym is paying off.” 

He cracked a smile. Teasing was the patented Percy/Annabeth way to break any and all tension. Sexual included. 

“Really, you skipped leg day today, and you take the credit for all my hard work.” 

“I do,” Annabeth said, and then had to bury her face in his chest again when the spider actually bit the kid. 

He seemed to squeeze her arm tighter, and he planted a kiss on her hair. 

It was almost enough. It was almost everything she wanted. 

When the movie was over, and the pizza was eaten, and blue cookies were enjoyed by all and shared with a late arriving Frank, they went to sleep. 

Percy and Annabeth curled up in his little bed, like they’d done since they were kids, in his mom’s apartment, because there wasn’t anywhere else for her to stay over. 

It was always her favorite way to sleep. 

He made her eggs the next morning. An omlette french style and toast with olive tapenade. A treat for her, he hated olives with a passion. 

“So,” he said as he sat with her at the too small table, his own eggs a cheesy monstrosity, “what are you thinking about graduate school?”

“What?” The egg fell off her fork. 

“Ok, so, this should not be taken as any kind of pressure or suggestion,” He said, “But I was talking to Dr. Brunner the other day, and he said it was time to start looking at grad school. And I did one google search and almost had a breakdown, but then I was like, this is dumb, just look where Annabeth looks. So this is me asking for your top masters programs, so I can look into those schools, too.” 

“I… thought you wanted to stay in New York,” She pointed out. 

“I mean, sure,” he agreed, “I would love too, if you find the right program I will be all about that. But that was way more important when I was going to teach high school. Now that I can safely say I want nothing to do with high school administration, I think I can look further for classics programs.” 

She had clearly missed a step. “You didn’t tell me you didn’t want to teach high school anymore. You had that externship last semester and everything.” 

He had been so excited about it over the summer, though maybe he _had_ stopped talking about it rather suddenly. 

He looked down, shoving some egg into his mouth before he said, “right, yeah.” 

“Percy, what…”

“I got fired,” He announced, “I got fired from the externship, which I didn’t even know could happen, because the principal was a douche, and I do not think I am cut out for teaching. And god, you’ve had all those internships, you’re amazing and I just...I was embarrassed.” 

“Hey, no,” She said, reaching out to take his hand across the table. She squeezed it, and then didn’t let go. “You never have to be embarrassed to tell me anything. You know that. You _should_ know that, at least. We’re a team. Like those Chariot races at camp in middle school. We play to win, and we do that together.” She squeezed his hand again, “So, if being a teacher is off the table, what were you and Dr. Brunner thinking for grad school?” 

“Well,” He looked embarrassed again, “we were talking, and the truth is… I actually really like the classics side of things. I’ve been making good grades, and he says some of my questions about naval history are actually really interesting and unique.” 

“So you want to get a masters in classics?”

“Yeah,” Percy nodded, “Not sure about stuff beyond that, but...I don’t know, Dr. Brunner thinks there might be a future for me in classics.” 

“Oh my gods,” she said allowed, a small laugh of delight escaping her, “You’re going to be an academic.” 

Percy Jackson in academia was a new and novel thing, but she loved the idea. 

“If only literally all my teachers from kindergarten through twelfth grade could see me now.” He said.

“We’d rub their mistakes in their face,” Annabeth said. 

And she didn’t point out that Harvad had an excellent classics program, along with their Architecture one. 

But maybe she would, later. He wanted them to stay together, just a little longer. She wasn’t going to pass that up. 

January turned to February. She went to class, she worked out with Percy, Piper teased her about Percy with a glint in her eye, she destroyed a new kid who showed up to the chess club with all the swagger of a grand master. The usual for her. 

She still stayed over at Percy’s about half the time, falling asleep by counting his breaths. But she noticed something off about him, too. 

A new pep in his step, an extra grin. She thought, with a kind of depressed realization, that he might have met someone. 

And it wasn’t like she didn’t think Percy didn’t deserve someone or two or as many as he wanted. 

She just wanted to be what he wanted. 

She considered asking and teasing and susing out what Percy really wanted. But her heart wasn’t in it, so she just cuddled closer to him during movie nights while she still could. 

And ignored the considerate look Frank gave her every time they crossed paths. 

As February 14th grew closer, and Percy got weirder, a horrifying thought crossed her mind. 

They had spent every single Valentines Day together since freshman year of high school. Singles Awareness Day, Sally used to joke. And it was one of the most important days of the Percy and Annabeth friendship year. 

They went all out. Sometimes Percy cooked elaborate meals. Sometimes they went out to events crowded with happy couples, and mocked them quietly. Once they’d gone dancing on a little boat and spent the whole cab ride home debating how long the couple who’d gotten engaged on Valentine's Day of all cliches, would actually last. 

They always had fun, and Annabeth looked forward to their days together all year, even though she also saw Percy every day. 

But if he had found someone, if he was falling for someone, well, it would stand to reason that Valentine’s day would be a great way to make a first impression. 

“Are we still on for Tuesday?” She asked as casually as she could as he spotted her during a rep on Sunday afternoon. She’d chosen the time carefully, hoping that any strange emotional reactions could be passed off as strain from her workout. 

“What?” For a moment he looked almost caught out. Then he smiled, but something about it was faded compared to his normal percy buoyancy. “Yeah, of course. Totally.” 

“Right,” She said, letting the dumbbell fall, and sitting up. “Meet at your place?”

“Um, no, I’ll pick you up.” 

“From my dorm?”

“Yeah, of course. I got us a reservation at Two Olives.” 

She blinked “You got us a reservation at Two Olives?” Even Rachel had to wait three weeks to get a reservation at Two Olives. And her family owned a sixth of the East Coast. “How?”

“I called in a few favors. Rachel owes me like five, and the pastry chef and my mom are friends.”

“Damn.” She said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to impress me.”

“I don’t have to impress you, Chase,” He said, his nose wrinkling up just a little bit, “I know how to show you a good time.” 

She had a breakdown over the next two days. Percy blew off basically all their normal get togethers. They didn’t study in the coffee shop. They didn’t work out. And though they had a classical art class together, he barely talked to her the whole time. 

She had been wondering why Percy was wasting his Two Olives reservation on her. But with a sickly realization, the truth of the matter became clear. 

He was going to tell her, on Valentine’s Day, that he’d met someone. Their relationship had long been something like too close and codependent. And he was going to break it to her gently that they had to start separating now. No more sleepovers, no more spending holidays with each other's parents. No more planning grad school together. 

Gym, some studying, normal friendship things. After all, their reservation was at 5. Probably so he could ply her with fancy olives and then send her on her way, to have a real date.

She might have made an effort, once, for a night out with Percy and Two Olives. But her heart wasn’t in it. She didn’t call Piper or Silena to freak out. She put on one of her nicer black dresses. She didn’t look up any makeup tutorials on youtube, she didn’t agonize over what jewelry to wear. She didn’t even bother with heels. She just pulled her hair back in her standard ponytail.

If she hadn’t bought a little stuffed fish for Percy three weeks before when she saw it at a bodega, she might not have even gotten him his customary platonic Valentine’s gift.

She was playing minesweeper on her phone and preparing for the inevitable when she heard the knock at her door. 

Percy cleaned up nicely. He did it plenty, so it wasn’t a surprise, but it still always took her breath away. He’d failed to brush his dark hair flat, but he’d shaved and scrubbed and put on a blue button up shirt that brought out his eyes. 

What could she have done, she wondered, what she could have done to get Percy Jackson to be her’s instead of a final pity friendship date and a broken heart.

“Oh,” He said, “Hi.” 

“Hi.” 

“Wow, you look amazing.” He said. He didn’t sound like he didn’t believe it. 

There was some joke there, about boys not paying attention, and thinking simple cotton dresses and cherry chapstick counted as dressing up. 

“Thanks,” She said, “you look nice too.” 

She really really wished he didn’t. 

He held out his flowers, a beautiful bunch of red roses, already in a vase filled with water, “I didn’t think you’d have a vase, so I brought one.” He just walked into her room, easy as you please, and put the flowers on her desk. 

“Here.” She said, handing him the fish. 

“Oh, my gods,” He cried, “it's blue, I love it.” He hugged it tightly. And then held it out and pushed its fish mouth to her cheek, a goofy imitation of a cheek kiss. 

“I’m glad you like it,” She said, “I saw it and thought of you.” It wasn’t up to her normal standards. Normally she got a feeling for unusual things that reminded her of Percy, but her heart was too broken to be in it, lately. 

“You know me so well.” He said, “though I’m going to leave it here, so it doesn’t get lost tonight.” He sat it on her bed, among her pillows, and then adjusted her owl, the last gift her mom had given her, so that its wing was wrapped around the fish. Careful and protective. 

Then he wrapped his own arm around her, and led her outside. 

He called them a cab, and they climbed in and set off in New York City traffic, talking about anything and everything. 

He was trying a new work out with Frank, and he thought she’d be into it. His mom had sent him a new picture of Estelle all dressed up as a mermaid, and he showed her. He was not going to try out for the swimming team, despite the fourth time he’d been asked by the coach. Had Rachel reached out to her about being a model for her art show yet?

“What?”

“Oh, damn,” He blushed, “I guess she hasn’t, yet. We were looking at some stuff, and she was saying how she wanted to do some stuff inspired by some ideas of classical beauty, and I suggested you. Because you are the most classically beautiful person I know.” 

If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he was flirting. But he didn’t even blush, just said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

“Thanks, I'll let you know if Rachel asks.” She managed “She’s probably found someone else though.”

“Who does she know who’s more beautiful than you?”

“Her dad’s side piece was on the cover of Vogue last year,” Annabeth reminded him.

“Fashion models aren’t known for their beauty,” Percy said, “Their look is about selling a product, not themselves.”

“You really let that sociology class go to your head.” Annabeth said.

“I swear on the river Styx, I’ve never met a woman more beautiful than you. Certainly not Miss July.”

“That’s playmates, not Vogue models.” Annabeth corrected. Because otherwise she’d have to think about him swearing she was beautiful. Percy might not actually worship the Greek gods and fear the broken oaths, but it was still a lot to say. And she could not even begin to interpret it.

She shook her head. She was letting the day and her anxiety about Percy’s impending relationship fuck with her head.

She looked right for whatever Rachel’s project was. That was all. Everything else was mindless flattery.

Not a lie, but something Percy said without really thinking about it. It was one of his things. It was one of the reasons they were friends.

She was prone to her own version of such things. Thoughts racing too fast, words spewing out whenever they could find a pathway.

She might not be able to help Rachel though, if she’d spend the entire time wondering if Percy *really* thought she was pretty.

Percy opened the door of the cab and the restaurant for her. And when he gave his name to the Matrade, the woman gave them a strange little smile.

She was much too chipper as she bit them to follow her, telling how pleased they were that Percy had chosen Two Olives for dinner.

“Everyone in the city is choosing Two Olives.” Annabeth said, as Percy helped her into her chair. “That was weird.”

“What?” Percy said, glancing at his watch and then around the restaurant before sitting down, “Yeah, totally.” He glanced at her, and then immediately looked down. He gripped the menu and held it right up, hiding his face like he was in some movie.

Just to be sure, she glanced around. But the restaurant was just opening for dinner service, and all the other couples were engrossed in each other. Because it was Valentine’s day and this is the hottest reservation in town.

“Why are you being weird,” she asked after what was probably two whole minutes of his entire face obscured behind his menu.

“I’m not being weird.” He said, still hidden, “Why would I be weird.”

She rolled her eyes and reached out, forcibly pushing the menu down. His face behind it was pale and his mouth was set in a grim line.

“What?”

“Stop it,” She said, “You’re being weird.”

“Right,” He nodded, “yeah, what do you want as an appetizer?”

They got the olive hummus from the smiley waitress after she went over the special couples menu. It was a nice gesture. Percy hated anything and everything with olives in it.

But he was still being weird. His left hand seemed to twitch every few seconds, resting on the table, and she could feel his right foot tapping against one of the tables legs next to her.

“Hey,” she said, reaching out and taking his hand. He grasped it, stopping its twitching, and squeezing back. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “yeah, I’m just…yeah, I’m good.” His smile seemed a little forced and out of the corner of her eye she could see his right hand reach to pat at his coat pocket.

His phone was in there, she thought. He probably wanted to know if the object of his affection was going to be calling him soon.

When the appetizer arrived, he pushed them all towards her, trying to hide behind the menu again. But stopped when she caught his eye.

“So, you haven’t told me where we’re going to grad school yet.” He said, while she stuffed her face with some truly delicious olives. “I want to not be super embarrassed the next time Dr. Brunner asks me.”

She glared, and then, knowing his goal, stuck out her tongue, showing him her half-chewed food.

He laughed, giving his whole face a beautiful lightness.

“Annabeth Chase,” He said, “How dare you. This is a fancy restaurant. I can’t take you anywhere.”

“Oh, is that why you only take me to the campus coffee place, the gym, and your apartment?” She asked after she swallowed her food and some water.

Percy frowned, “Do you want us to go out more?”

“Hanging out is fine,” She waved him off, and put more olive hummus in her mouth.

“No,” He shook his head, setting the menu down fully, “No, really, we can go out more, do more things. What do you want to do?”

They could do dozens of things together. School offered a range of classes: cooking, dancing, art, even wine tasting. They were in New York City. It was a place full of cool venues and great night life. Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway and shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as Broadway. Museums and food trucks and parks.

They could have a ball exploring together.

But it would feel, she was sure, like something silly and coupley. The kind of thing you do with a new relationship, to learn about your new partner and see the world through their eyes.

Percy and Annabeth weren’t a couple, and she couldn’t think of anything she didn’t know about him. Except maybe his mysterious new love interest.

For example, she wasn’t surprised he got the surf and turf, steak cooked medium instead of medium rare based on a documentary he’d watched with Piper about beef once. 

Just like she knew he would order the Greek salad as a side without olives. If they took a dance class together, she knew he’d be graceful but have very little rhythm. At any museum he'd listened to her talk about the architecture for hours. Plenty of fun, of course, but if he was going to run all over Manhattan with his new girl? She'd rather her hang out time, before he settled down away from her.

“We're fine,” she promised, “I like just hanging out with you.” 

She'd always prefer to hang out with him then go on a bunch of romantic pseudo dates knowing he didn't want what she wanted.

“If you're sure,’ he said, and then the waitress came back, and he ordered his steak medium.

Annabeth got their signature olive pasta. And it was delicious, if a little small, as was often the case at fancy restaurants.

“But really,” He said, his mouth half full of his over-cooked steak, “What grad programs do I need to be looking at? I want a list when Dr. Brunner asks me next.”

“Anyone ever told you are too obsessed with the approval of male authority figures in your life?”

“Every day, that’s why they call me daddy issues.” His grin was just a little mean, “It’s one of the reasons we get along so well.”

“I talked to my dad three days ago,” She said, even though they both knew he was very right. But this was a great excuse to get back on topic. “And he was talking about how much he wanted me to go to Harvard for grad school. So there.”

Percy’s face fell. “Oh, yeah,” he nodded, “yeah, that makes sense.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” He said, she knew his forced smile as well as any of his other ones.

“Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“It doesn’t matter now. We can talk about it later, maybe.” He shoved a piece of steak in his mouth, “how’s your dinner?”

“Percy, please,” She reached out and grabbed the hand that had started tapping on the table again. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

He stopped, and she watched him chew his food before he actually asked.

“Did you come to NYU instead of going to Harvard because of me?”

She was going to say that she hadn’t, that he should know better. But then she paused, and actually thought about it.

“No,” She finally said, “or, I used you as a little bit of an excuse.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know how high school was, with my parents, and Harvard.” The looming threat of a legacy, of the place her parents met, of generations of Chases in the hallowed halls from its inception. “I couldn’t stand the pressure, in the end.”

“I know that’s what you said.” Percy agreed. “And I know I wanted us to be together so much I never really questioned it.”

“I think I wanted to avoid my parent’s expectations so I could avoid crashing and burning. I mean, if we wanted to, we could have gone to Harvard, instead.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure they’d have wanted me.”

Annabeth actually rolled her eyes. Like Percy didn’t know NYU was a selective school. “Your grades were fine; your super score was something like good. And Harvard wanted to win swim meets and sailing races as much as the next WASP institution.” She stuck her tongue out, and then added, to prove a point, “and like all WASP institutions, it’s who you know. My dad knows some people and my uncle works there. We could have gotten you in.”

“I could have pretended to be on the crew team, like Aunt Becky’s daughter.” He said, “I’m great at boats, I probably could have figured it out.”

“Just another water-based sport for you to master.” Annabeth said. “I couldn’t handle it then. And being with you was so much more appealing than not being able to handle it, and losing my parents’ love again.”

“You would have been able to handle it.” Percy said, “you’re a genius.”

“A self-sabotaging one,” She said, “How many test induced panic attacks have you had to talk me down from?”

“Only one.”

“Only one this semester,” Annabeth pointed out, “It's only February.”

“I believe in you.”

“Yeah,” Annabeth nodded. His statement didn’t even give her butterflies. She knew it was true, Percy Jackson believed in her. “I think I believe in me enough now, that I can give family legacy a try.” It hit her sharply, they were still holding hands. She squeezed his, and he squeezed back. That one did produce butterflies.

She’d been so afraid of failure three years ago, when she’d decided not to go to Harvard. So afraid that she probably would have failed. A self-fulfilling prophecy.

“And I’m sure Harvard has a perfectly good Classics program.” She added, “So you can come with me.”

“I couldn’t get into Harvard.”

“Once again, you could,” She said, “but also, Boston is full of colleges. And I am more than happy to spend the next paper procrastination I have researching every single one of them for you.” She'd visit them all herself, if she could really keep Percy by her side.

He squeezed her hand again. And then let go.

“Well, while you plan our future,” he stood up, “I’m going to run to the bathroom.”

He took a long time, but that could have meant that he started playing candy crush on his phone and got distracted.

She sure hoped his new girl, whoever she was, would appreciate all of Percy’s little ADHD quirks.

Annabeth only ever felt seen by them.

He came back with a smile. And leaned down to kiss her cheek.

“In a good mood now.”

“I’m with you,” He said, “best I’ve ever been.”

He did not want to try her pasta, but let her try some of his lobster. But instead of asking for the check when it was done, instead asked for dessert.

“We never get dessert out.” Annabeth pointed out.

“You can’t tell me you’re not still hungry.”

“I am, but I know you have snacks at home.”

“My mom knows the pastry chef,” Percy said, “the chocolate mousse cake is delicious. Because my mom taught her how to make it.”

“Then let’s just have Sally make it for us.” She knew Percy was going to insist on paying unless she was properly quick about it. And they’d already gotten an app. She needed to keep some sense that she wasn’t taking advantage.

“No, no, it will be more fun here.”

She lost the fight, though she fought valiantly. Even wisdom had to bow to the strength of Percy’s easy charm and reassurance.

He ordered the cake, and two spoons, and then narrowed his eyes as the waitress let out a little giggle.

Annabeth sighed, and decided she was going to get the damn check when that time came, just to prove a point.

But first, she was going to eat chocolate mousse cake.

“Sally would have made it blue for me.” She pouted.

“Maybe this one will be blue, too.” Percy offered. His smile was the same one he’d had at 12 and 15 and 18. Shy and kind and beautiful. With just a twitch in the corner it could become that smile that had promised all sorts of laughs and trouble for nearly the last decade. But the sweet one he gave her now, well, sometimes she thought only she got it.

“Bet.”

And there was the twitch, there was that troublemaking smile, “I’m going to claim quite the prize when I win.” He said.

They had a secluded little corner, and her back was away from the kitchen, so Percy could see them coming and Annabeth couldn’t. She assumed the arrival of their cake, which was not going to be blue, was why he broke out into a strange sort of giggle.

“You’re being weird again,” Annabeth said, “it’s just cake. Cake your mom could probably make better and cheaper.”

He didn’t even respond.

“Here you go,” said the too smiley waitress as she set the plate.

It was blue.

It was- many many things.

The actual cake was on a smaller plate into the side of the larger plater it had been brought out on. The cake part was dark blue, and the mousse your typical chocolate brown. Carmel was drizzled across the cake and into the shape of a little rose next to it, mint leaves serving as the roses leaves. It was fancy and lovely. Two dessert spoons rested beside it. A perfect pair. 

And it did not matter.

Because across platter was a little box.

It was small and blue velvet. Its curved lid was open, and inside laid a little pillow.

Resting in it was, well…

“Annabeth Chase,” And when she managed to look back at Percy, she found he’d vacated his seat. He was now before her on one knee. “I love you. I adore you. Your brain and your smile, your warmth and your cutting wit mean everything to me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

His words made no sense. They did not compute.

“What?”

She bit the inside of the cheek as hard as she could, because she must have been dreaming. Nothing else made since.

She tasted the metallic salt of blood.

“I won the bet.” He said, “And as my reward, I want to be my wife.”

He grabbed the ring box and presented it to her with that perfect smile he only ever gave to her.

“You want to marry me?” She asked. She could feel tears pricking at her eyes, even as she tried to regain control, tried to figure out what was going on.

“Wise girl,” He laughed, and she felt for all the world like there was a joke she wasn’t getting. “Of course, I want to marry you. Gods, how could I not?” He reached out and grasped her hand, and then stared at her.

The moments crept by. And she became suddenly aware that everyone was looking at them. Percy was looking at her, face wide and open.

“I don’t understand.” And Annabeth, who’s main skill had always been being smart, hated not understanding things.

She didn’t understand. Percy was on his knee in front of her, holding out a ring. The most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. A circular blue stone, surrounded by smaller, darker stones. Then a line of even lighter blue stones across the silver band. Percy was proposing- _to her_.

“I…” She watched Percy’s whole face fall. His broad shoulders hunch. “I see.” His hand, holding the ring, fell, and with it his whole body, until Percy was sitting on the floor of a four-star restaurant.

“Percy…”

“I’m sorry,” He said, and she hated the frown on his face more than anything else. “I didn’t know you didn’t want this.”

“I didn’t say that,” she said quickly. Because nothing could be further from the truth. This was some sort of dream she’s fallen into. “But I don’t… isn’t this all a little soon.”

He looked down at the ring box still in his hand, “it’s been five years.” She’d known Percy for a decade, so she couldn’t say she’d never heard him sound this defeated. But it had been few and far between. Then she watched him pick himself up off the floor and shut the ring box closed. The sound sent a shock though.

“Sorry,” He said, again, “I’m so sorry. I guess I just misunderstood. I thought you were ready I thought…It doesn’t matter.” He gave her a smile. It wasn’t forced, exactly, but it wasn’t the special smile he always saved just for her. “We should eat our cake.”

“Percy,” she said again, as he sat back down in her chair. “please…”

“Everything’s fine,” Percy said, and that smile was a little better, “we just…it's fine. We’re not going to break up or anything over this.”

“Percy,” Annabeth snapped, “why do you think we would break up?”

“We aren’t,” Percy said, “it’s just…little misunderstanding, not a big deal.”

“It might be more than a little misunderstanding,” Annabeth said, “we can’t…Percy, how long do you think we’ve been dating?”

“Five years,” He said, “Since junior…shit, have we been dating since the Winter Formal in eighth grade?” He’d looked so cute, all scrawny in his step dad’s jacked and bow tie, when he’d asked her to dance, after she’d complained that no one wanted to slow dance with her. “Have I been celebrating our anniversary the wrong day all these years? Did you want me to propose back in December?”

It was all way too much, “If we were dating,” she said, overwhelmed by the idea of having Percy since junior year, or 8th grade, of having him _propose_ to her, “I would have noticed.”

That seemed to properly throw Percy off his game. It wasn’t exactly a bad look, the little lines that developed between his dark brows when he wasn’t sure what was going on, the way his green eyes narrowed. She didn’t get to see his adorable confusion as much anymore. Not like when they were in middle school, and he still had to ask her to define unfamiliar words.

“We’re dating.”

“We’re not.”

“Of course we are.”

“I would have noticed if we went on dates, or kissed, and I would have definitely noticed if we had sex.” She’s had approximately a million fantasies on the backburner. A proposal was merely one of the tamest. She’d have noticed if they were regularly fulfilled.

“We’re…” Percy shook his head, “You’re ace, demi,” he nodded to her bracelet on her wrist, a band of purple, white, grey, and black beads Percy had given her when she came out to him. “We talked about it. About how you don’t want things fast and you said we should wait until marriage.”

She maybe had said that. A couple years ago when they had curled up in her too small dorm bed together. She had thought they were just chatting, best friend things. She’d laid the demi stuff out to him about the year before, but that was one of the first times they’d ever gotten into detail. She’d been honest about needing an emotional connection, about wanting to take things slow. And when sex and experience had come up, well, then she maybe was trying to save a little face. She hated the idea of Percy and some perfect girl, getting it on while she waited for someone she could ever have a connection to more than Percy. So, she said _she_ would wait until marriage, safe in the knowledge she’d never marry anyone but Percy, and therefore he’d never ask again.

“You didn’t take a purity pledge, and haven’t been saving yourself for marriage?” he asked.

“Not if it meant we could have been sleeping together for five years.”

Percy’s entire face lit up like Time Square, where she’d bullied him into taking her in middle school, even though he’d insisted it was a tourist trap.

“So, you do want to sleep with me?”

“Of course, I do,” She rolled her eyes, then. It was much easier to accuse him of being dense when she was clearly the one who had not been paying enough attention. She had enough self-awareness to notice her own hypocrisy, and enough pride to not want to linger on it. “I’ve been in love with you for like…seven years, at least. I just didn’t know it was mutual.”

“I tell you I love you all the time. Every day, at least.” Which he did.

“Ugh,” She face palmed into her hand, “this is really all on me, isn’t it?”

“Fraid so, babe.”

And the use of babe here sent a shiver down her spine in the best way.

He glanced down at the ring box, still in his hand, “I think we can just save this for later.” And he slid it way, into his jacket pocket.

Annabeth didn’t say anything, she merely stood up from her seat and walked around the table. Percy’s chair was still pulled back, so with very little effort, she swung a leg over and straddled his lap.

“What…” A hand settled on her waist. He had done that dozens of times. But somehow, it meant so much more now. Or at least, now she knew what it had always meant to Percy.

“No,” She said, one hand grasping his hand, and the other diving into that pocket.

She probably looked like a total dork when she held the ring box up triumphantly.

“No take backs,” she said, she couldn’t open the box one-handed. And with great regret she let go of Percy’s hand. She still fumbled as she pulled the ring out of its little fake velvet and cardboard case, and then shoved it on her finger. It fit perfectly. It looked beautiful. “We’re engaged now.”

And then without waiting for a proper reply, she leaned down and kissed him. Really, properly, like she had dreamed of doing a million times before.

Annabeth had last kissed someone during camp spin the bottle when she was 14. Or maybe seven minutes in heaven the next summer. Regardless, this was much much better.

Percy didn’t hesitate or freeze up. He met her lips, her tongue. His hands smoothed over her sides. And she squirmed in his lap. All very very good things.

“Excuse me,” There was the waitress again, suddenly looking not so smiley, “um, first, congratulations, and second…could you please…stop.”

They’d attracted a crowd again. Or maybe it had never stopped. She didn’t really care. They clearly had the best love story in this restaurant tonight.

But she couldn’t actually have her way with Percy in the middle of Manhattan’s hottest restaurant.

“Sorry,” She said, “we’re a little excited.” With great great effort, she peeled herself off of Percy. “Can we get our cake to go?” She considered, and then grabbed her credit card from where she had slipped it out of her wallet earlier, “And please go ahead and pay our bill.”

“I’m supposed to pay.”

Annabeth shrugged, and then held up her ring, so she could admire it in the romantic, atmospheric light, “You already bought me this. I can get dinner.”

And then she leaned down and kissed away his protest.

They just barely made it to Percy’s bedroom. Which was probably good in the long run. Annabeth liked Frank. And more than that, she liked not having to stop until they were well and truly done. And then some.

Then Percy wrapped himself up in a blanket she’d knitted him a couple of years ago, and wandered out into the common area, coming back with their cake.

“My mom could have made this better.” He conceded, and then kissed some caramel off the corner of her mouth.

“So, I have to admit, I’m a pretty good friend.” He said, as he shoved the styrofoam covered in cake crumbs into the little trash can under his desk and she watched the lines of his body from his bed.

“You’re the best friend,” Annabeth said, crowding his space when he got back to the bed, and resting her whole body against his. “the very very best.”

“Right,” She could feel his cheek heat against her’s. “But I wouldn’t pay two hundred dollars for a dinner for two with Grover.”

“I ended up paying.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“Well, Grover wouldn’t have put out at the end,” She said, and before she really thought about it. “You were going to spend two hundred dollars on dinner with me, plus the cost of my ring, which I _will_ get out of you one day, lover boy. All without thinking I was going to put out tonight.”

“Of course,” He said, and because he was Percy, the unusualness of such a situation didn’t even occur to him. “You don’t owe me sex. Not now, not ever.”

“Fuck,” She said, forcing herself up, so she could actually look at him, though the only light was the one in his fish tank, “You really do love me as much as I love you.”

He smiled so perfectly, and Annabeth got to kiss him. She got to kiss him whenever she wanted, for the rest of her life. So, she did, she kissed him and kissed him and kissed him some more.

Because what kind of a fiancée would she be, if she didn’t put out at least twice? Or three times?

They might have the rest of forever, but they also had a lot of time to make up for.

“What are you thinking now?” Percy asked, when they were done. Which was only because they ran out of condoms. Because apparently, when you thought your girlfriend didn’t want to have sex until marriage, you only kept a few from the student health center on hand. Just in case.

Gods, she had the best fiancé in the entire world.

“Tomorrow’s Friday, can we just go to City Hall and get married.”

He initiated the next kiss, but he shook his head as he pulled back. “If we deny her the chance to be a flower girl, Estelle will murder us in our sleep. And only that will prevent Mom from killing us for doing it without her.”

“Yeah,” Annabeth conceded, “Yeah, ok, you’re right.”

“I have some moments.” Percy said, kissing her cheek, the way he’d been doing for years, when he thought that was the only acceptable boundary.

She snuggled in closer, and once again brought up her left hand, admiring her ring.

“But soon,” she said, “I’ve been an idiot, but I don’t want to deny myself any more of you for any longer then I have to.”

“Yeah,” Percy said, kissing her head, “I don’t want any more questions about what we are to each other.” Then he raised her left hand from where it rested on his chest, and kissed her knuckles, like some sort of old fashioned prince. 

And if Annabeth went to sleep, curled up in Percy’s arms, with visions of center pieces and flower themes? Well, she was engaged now. It was her right as a bride to be to be fanatically obsessed with her wedding. 

After all, she was going to get to marry Percy Jackson. 

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on [tumblr](http://darkmagyk.tumblr.com/).


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